Samsung to Take 30% of North American LCD TV Market

Samsung‘s Boo-keun Yoon, president of the company’s visual display division stated, “Demand for flat-screen TVs in North America has steadily been soaring despite the global economic turmoil.” Yoon is also confident that Samsung will best Sony for brand recognition by 2011. He cited younger consumers prefering Samsung over Sony. In 2008, Samsung sold 21 million LCD TV sets followed by Sony with 14.8 million. At #3 was LG with 10.7 million based on DisplaySearch reports. Samsung’s plan is to capture 30% of the North American LCD TV market. The company is pushing LCD TVs that make use of LED backlights and expects the global market for these to hit 3 million. Samsung showcased its LUXIA line of LCD TVs (pictured above) that make use of edge-lit LED backlights making them ultra-thin.

Samsung calls LED backlit LCD TVs as LED TVs. LED TVs will be have a price premium of about 30-40% but the premium will eventually shrink as other TV brands jump in. Other brands will need to make sure they don’t overstep on any of 3000 patents related to LED TVs that Samsung has already secured. The 30-40% premium in cost will be offset somewhat with lower energy bills as LED TVs consume about 40% less power compared to CCFL backlit LCD TVs. Hyun-suk Kim, head of Samsung’s R&D team at the visual display division stated, “Sony has contacted us to supply white LED chips. But I think chances are low for this to occur.” I guess Sony will need to get white LEDs from somewhere else.